Director Lei Guohua has a predilection for classic 19th-century European novels, which were particularly popular in China during the 1950s and 1960s.

She successfully brought The Gadfly by Ethel Lillian Voynich back to the stage last year and now she is busy preparing for the premiere of The Red and the Black.

Adapted from French writer Stendhal's namesake novel published in 1830, the play will be staged at Shanghai Drama Arts Theater from next Friday.

"Compared with The Gadfly, The Red and the Black is more easily accepted by people today," says Lei. "To me, red symbolizes passion and freedom while black stands for power and reality.

"The play is all about love, lust and the fight between (protagonist) Julien Sorel and his two women. It vividly depicts his self-regard, despite the 'low class' he comes from," she adds.

Handsome and ambitious, Julien Sorel is determined to rise above his humble origins as a carpenter's son and be accepted by the aristocracy through a combination of talent and hard work, but he practices hypocrisy and deception. Predictably, he is betrayed by his own ambitions in the end.

Stendhal's complex portrayal of Julien makes him the writer's most brilliant and human character. The novel is also a devastating portrayal of materialistic society.

The director had spent a long time looking for her "ideal Julien" until she met Li Zonghan, one of the most popular young actors in China today. Famous for his roles in various acclaimed TV series, Li has not performed on stage since he graduated from the Central Academy of Drama in Beijing.

"I had several criteria in mind when I started to look for the right actor," Lei says. "First, he must be a good actor; second, he must be handsome; and most important, he must have this 'gloomy' look in his eyes."

One day, she happened to see a picture of Li in a magazine and immediately thought he was "the one." Li was persuaded to turn down a TV series and become "China's first Julien."

It is the first time the novel has been staged in China. "I'm honored to take the role. Julien is a controversial person. He is so appealing and charming that he is adored and wanted by every woman. However, they also hate him when they can't get him.

"To some extent, Julien is like a person living in today's society. He doesn't know what he wants exactly: Who shall I love? What shall I do? I'm sure the audience will be moved by my performance."

The two women in the story, Madame de Renal and Mademoiselle de la Mole are played by promising young actresses Wen Yang and Xie Li from the Shanghai Drama Arts Center.

(Shanghai Daily August 17, 2007)